Rising Stars: Meet Lingxue(Luna) Hao

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lingxue (Luna) Hao.

Hi Lingxue (Luna), can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Right before applying to college, I started to learn photography when I was 17. Later, I got my BFA degree from Beijing Film Academy, specializing in commercial photography. I worked in the food photography world for a while, and I also worked as a freelance retoucher. At that time, I felt that I was not suitable for the field of commercial photography. Not only did my technology at that time not reach the real industry standard, but also my personality and way of thinking were not suitable for this direction. As a result, I chose to go to grad school in 2017, and I got my MFA degree from Savannah College of Art and Design to see if I have the opportunity to have more possibilities in fine art photography. I move to the Los Angeles area right after graduating, and now I’m working in The Scholart Selection as a visual designer/photographer.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In general, I think this process is relatively smooth. I have indeed encountered some difficulties in these years, but I think the appearance of these difficulties is foreseeable, so I did not feel very panicky and confused. The first was when I decided to give up being a commercial photographer. I will always feel that this was the right choice, but it was really hard for me to throw away everything at the time and choose to start over in a completely different country and environment. I have to mention that I had a lot of help and support while doing my MFA in Savannah, but I still had a period of loneliness and self-doubt after I left school and needed to do some important decisions about career choices and job search.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As I mentioned, I’m currently working as a visual designer/photographer at The Scholart Selection while also pursuing my personal photography projects on the side.

During my MFA program, I completed a three-year project called The Moon Phase: The Moments Between Wax and Wane. This series is my interpretation of depression through the art of photography, drawing from my personal experiences with this invisible disease. The photographs capture the torment and pain that I navigate with major depression and reflect my ongoing struggle with mental health. The project serves as a visual diary of my journey as a depressive patient, and the process of photographing and editing it has been a productive outlet for me to communicate with the outside world.

The Moon Phase is a multimedia project that is divided into three chapters, each corresponding to a different spiritual stage of my illness. The first chapter was created without any medical intervention and portrays my chaotic and disordered state of mind and life. The second chapter was shot while I was receiving regular medical help and depicts my unstable and confused mental state during this period. The third chapter captures a relatively stable state of mind, in which I learned to coexist with depression and maintain a sense of balance.

Currently, I’m working on a new project that builds upon the themes of mental illness explored in The Moon Phase. Although this project is independent, it still feels connected to the series. Since graduating and entering the workforce, my identity and state of mind are no longer defined by being a student/patient. However, the prolonged use of medication and the effects of depression have permanently changed a part of who I am. I believe this transformation is worth documenting and considering, as it reflects the next stage of healing: learning to navigate reality and prevent the darkness from returning.

What matters most to you? Why?
I think in the current stage of creation, the most important thing for me is still whether I can establish an effective communication channel with the public through my photos. The initial motivation behind creating “The Moon Phase” was that, after being diagnosed with depression, I struggled to find a suitable channel to communicate with my parents. Later on, I realized that not only was communication with my parents difficult, but I also encountered more obstacles in communicating with the people around me. I believe that many individuals who are going through similar stages and situations with mental illnesses may have experienced similar or related issues. Therefore, I wanted to use my strongest language and tool – photography and camera – to create a communication platform that goes beyond language and words. In a broader sense, I have a strong passion for discovering and documenting love, loss, introspection, and fleeting moments in everyday life. In my future creative endeavors, I hope to maintain this passion for finding beauty and meaning in the mundane aspects of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lunahao.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luna___hao/

Image Credits
Photos from Moon Phase Series by Lingxue(Luna) Hao.